This disclosure relates generally to hoists. More particularly, this disclosure relates to translating body rescue hoists for aircraft.
Rescue hoists deploy and retrieve a cable from a cable drum to hoist persons or cargo, and the rescue hoist may be mounted to an aircraft, such as a helicopter. The cable drum rotates to spool or unspool the cable from the cable drum, with one end of the cable attached to the cable drum and the other end, which can include a hook or other device, deployed during operation. The cable drum is also translated along the cable drum axis to properly align the cable as the cable is spooled onto and unspooled from the cable drum. Various lubricated components of the rescue hoist are at least partially housed within the cable drum, such as a motor, a drive train, a level wind mechanism, and a linear bearing. The lubricated components disposed within the cable drum can be exposed to various contaminants as the cable drum translates, because as the cable drum translates the lubricated components typically remain stationary.